US extends social distancing guidelines to April 30. How well Americans follow them could mean the difference between 100,000 and millions of deaths, Birx says

Originally Published: 30 MAR 20 04:17 ET

Updated: 30 MAR 20 11:11 ET

By Holly Yan and Madeline Holcombe, CNN

(CNN) — The latest projections on coronavirus in the US were so alarming, there was virtually no choice but to extend social distancing guidelines, two of the nation’s top infectious disease experts said.

‘Those are tinders that can turn into big fires’

Places with few cases can also steer the direction of this outbreak, Fauci said.

“If you just look at those (places) and say, ‘There are very little infections in this area or that area, we don’t have to worry about it,’ you’re making a big mistake. Because those are tinders that can turn into big fires.”

“You’ve got to look at those other areas and make sure you very vigorously identify, test … get individuals who you take out of society because they’re isolated, and do contact tracing,” he said.

‘There is not enough of anything’

Hundreds of medical workers across the country have fallen sick with coronavirus as hospital employees face dire shortages of protective gear.

FDA approves limited emergency use of treatments

But over the weekend, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for chloroquine, a drug commonly used against malaria, and hydroxychloroquine to use on patients hospitalized with coronavirus.

Though evidence is limited on the efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, the FDA said the drugs’ benefits outweighed their risk.

“Based on the totality of scientific evidence available to FDA, it is reasonable to believe that chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate may be effective in treating COVID-19,” said the agency in its letter.

Treatment authorization is limited to patients who are currently hospitalized and weigh at least 110 pounds. Health care providers must contact their local or state health departments to access the drugs.

A new travel advisory would limit domestic travel

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a travel advisory Saturday urging residents in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut “refrain from nonessential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.”

The states would have “full discretion” on implementing the advisory, which exempts employees in working in critical fields.

The CDC advisory came as some starts started implementing their own rules on visitors coming from out-of-state hotspots.

Florida opened highway checkpoints to screen drivers coming from Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Louisiana, the state Department of Transportation said. Drivers coming from those states must self-quarantine for 14 days or for the duration of their visit.

In Delaware Gov. John Carney modified his state of emergency declaration to require out-of-state travelers to self-quarantine for two weeks.

And in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas expanded the state’s rules on which visitors must self-quarantine for 14 days.

Previously, anyone flying into Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Orleans must quarantine 14 days.

The expanded order adds anyone driving into Texas from Louisiana plus anyone flying from Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington state and California.

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